Ramacharitmanas 15. True Beauty

What is true beauty? What good is a precious jewel if left at the top of a mountain? The splendor of a jewel is surely appreciated when adorned by a beautiful lady or a great King. Similarly, the wise say that although the poet pours out beautiful poetry from his mind, the appreciation of the charm is in the mind of the listener. There is no charm in the songs of worldly men; the wise alone know it is the by the power of Shri Rama’s story which purifies us in the Kali age. The heart of a poet is like the sea, his mind is like shells which contain the goddess of poetry (Saraswati). As the poet pours fourth his beautiful verses, pearls of wisdom shine brightly throughout the ever dark ocean of the Kali age. And if those pearls are strung together by the glorious thread of Shri Rama’s story, then the hearts and souls will find eternal delight.